Hosiery drying structure



March 8, 1932 P. P. LA MONTAGNE ET AL 1,848,486

HOSIERY DRYING STRUCTURE Original Filed April 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7710/??05 Wafer., f

P. P. LA MONTAGNE ET AL HOSIERY DRYING STRUCTURE Original Filed April 5, 1927 mmh 8, 1932.

"l of the elements Patented Mar. 8, 1932 'UNTEQ STATES PATENT OFFICE V].A'JJRICK P, LA MONTAGNE .AND THOMAS W. PROSSER, OF KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS, AS-

SIGNGRS TO PARAMOUNT TEXTILE MACIIINEBY CO., OF KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS, A

con-rcnnrioir or rLLiNois HO-SIERY DRYING- STRUCTURE Application led April 5, 1927, Serial No. l181,215. Renewed .Tune I11, 1929.

This invention relates, primarily, to a hosiery drying structure; it essentially involves a drying and shaping form; and it contemplates a type of form adapted to have co- 5 operatively associated With it any of a plurality of differently sized toe-elements Whereby one structure, by reason of the interchangeability of a set. of toefelements, is

n adapted for treatingrhosiery of several difl'ferent sizes. y

` The fundamental objectof our concept is to provide a structure of great simplicity but which, including as it does intermating elements, is adapted to efl'ectrequisite heating for etlicient functioning thereof. Y y Another object, and'one of importance, is to provide a form which ishollovv andy thus includes a chamber undivided byany partition or similar instrumentality but in which chamber is mounted an air conduit which, v adjacent its upper end, is in communication with the chamber so that air i's efcient-ly conducted from the chamber, With the result I' 25 that the capacity of that chamber to contain Substantially nothing but the heating medium is maintained at its maximum, there being means associated with the form for conducting condensate therefrom; this construction promoting a maximum of'elticiency of heattransference from the form to a iemovable toe-element securable thereto.

VAnother object Within the contemplation of our concept is to provide a structure com prising a leg-portion and a toe-portion, these being hollow to house a thermal fluid, the heating efficiency of which is promoted, as aforementioned, by a conduit Within the form and in communica-tion with the Vcham- 40 ber therein and adapted to conduct air from the chamber.; the toe-portionof the form being provided With an element-engaging face adapted to be intermatedivith a substantially corresponding Vface on the toe-ele A .f a *5 ment; and `With these is associatedv a device rfor.securing the Vtoe-element to the toep0rtion conveniently and, expeditiously and yet in a manner which insures an intimate contact betiveenthe portion and element-,thereby to promote'heat transference fromthe toe-portion to the element, i'esulting in the latter being quickly heated When the heating medium is initially introduced into the form and, then, in the same being maintained at the requisite drying temperature thereafter.

Another object of the invention, and one of great practica-l importance, is the formation of the mating surfaces of the toe-portion and toe-element aforementioned in such manner that no sharp corners eXist at the creaseproducing edges of the form against which a stocking may become wrinkled and thereby snagged or torn in the boarding operation.

Our inventive-concept involves other objectsrand features, and these Will be more or ess apparent from the description which folows.

We are aware that it has heretofore been proposed to provide hosiery drying forms with detachable toe-elements; but, in actual practice with these, a real problem is presented in connection with adequate heating of the toeelement.v Provision for the requisite heat transference to the toe-element has not, as far as We are advised, been sui'iciently developed. Besides, the maintenance of the temperature of the thermal fluid Within the Vform has not been achieved. Perceiving this problem, our efforts have been directed to its solution, with the result thatiWe have, in our proposed structure,'omitted the chamber-dividing partition heretofore used and have provided the air-conduit already mentioned, so that, at all times, air is eliminated from the chamber and the heating fluid, in full capacity, is maintained therein and, particularly, in the toe-portion of the form, in consequence of which it functions, to a much greater extent than'heretofore in other structures, to transfer its heat to the toe-element, Besides, the latter is cast solid, and provision is made for precluding any air spaces between it and the toe-portion.

,In order that the invention may be more readily comprehended, We have revealed in the accompanying drawings several embodiments thereof; but even these are to be understood as kmerely illustrative, inasmuch as we contemplate other embodiments and uti lizations of our concept, and We also intend YLio vof modication and variationswith'out departing from the underlying principles and lsalient features of our invention. y

In these drawings: Figure 1 is a View in ly in section) of a preferred type of construction embodying our concept; there being as;

sociated with the same an efficientsystem for supplying a heating-medium to the form and for conducting Vair and condensate therefrom; V Y f Figure 2 is a fragmentary view, on a considerably enlarged scale, ofthe foot-portion of the forin and showing, particularly, the preferred manner of securingA an interchange `able toe-element tothe foot-portion, and the relative' widthwise dimensions 'of' these;

line 3 of Fig. 2 and showing, especially, the shape and relation of the mating faces of the toe-element andthe foot-portion; l

` Figure e is a fragmentary view'in longitudinal section showing the device for securfoot-portionV in intimate contact;

F igure l? is a 'viewy in transverse section of the form, on'the line lar-4a, Fig.-`1, showing ing and maintainingl the toefelement and AViii particular 'the relative diametral dimen sionsvofvthe airtube and, also,` the relation of itto the interior walls of the form.

Figure 5` is a view in transverse sectionl on Figure 6 is a'fragmentaryview, in front elevation, corresponding to Fig. 2, andA show` ing a modified `type of toe-element and means for securing itto thel foot-portion;

' Figure 7 is a view in transverse section, enlarged, on the line 7-7,'Fig. 6;

' Figure 8 isa viewsiinilar to Fig. 6, showinganother modification of the toe-element land the means forfm'ounting it( onthe vfoot-` portion of the form; o

Figure 9 is ay view`iiitransverse section, on the vline 99, Fig`.'8,; and I Figure l0 is a fragmentary view, in section, of theelementfsecuring device of the'type shownfinV Figsg8 and 9. n

Referringto the drawings and to the preferred embodiment illustrated'. in Figs. l

to 5, the reference-character l designates,

generally, a hosiery drying and shaping form which, in this instance,l is of the lstyle and `dimensions to board ladies `hosieryg` but isv to be' understood that a half-hose form, a formr for boarding childrens stockings, and other types 'of`forms,'are within the contemplation of our concept. ,y Y y The form l in lthis instance includes a legfportion 2 anda foot-portion 3; these being Y hollow to 'provide an elongated chamber 4i' Vada-ptedto house'a heating-mediuin,suchv as steaim introduced into the chamber. 4 byl a pipe oi' `other formrof conduitl 5 on which the form is mounted and the base of which is f f Ypasses from the pipe into `thepassage 6 and, front elevation' (pairt-` 1 ran erroneousone, that it is desirable, for the efficient heating of the form, to maintain it ata yrequired hosiery-drying temperature, thatthe steam should circulate in the form, in the sense Vthat it would flow up one side of the partition and down the other; but we have discovered-and our concept is in part Figure 3 is a view inthe direction of the at least predicated upon the discovery-that more eflicient results are, in some situations at least, effected if a different method of handling the thermal fluid within the form is employed. In this connection, fthe desideratum is to conduct any air that initially the chamber 4 to apoint adjacent the heel section lOof the foot-po'rtion'.` The tube 8, at its lower end, is provided with a bulb or enlarged element Sra/which isthreadedinto Y the conduit 9, as shown. This tube 8, at its upper end, is provided with one or morev apertures 8b through which air passes into the tube from the chamber 4. The upper eX- tremity of the tube 8 may be bentl somewhat. as at 11, so that it will yoccupy a position substantially midway between the edges ofthe foot-portion.V Itis believed to be important that the'extremity of the tube 8 shall be not far removed from thel upper extremityv 12 of the foot-portion., though satisfactory results have been secured by terminating the tube even below the aforementionedheelfsection.

.It has been found in practice thatV the upper extremity of the form. frequently acts to pro duce an air pocket when the heating-medium is initially introducedv into Ya 'drying-forni;

and more or. lessdifhcultv has been experienced in eliminating such air pocket. Where tion.V the breaking of the air pocket has. on

formis, in this the formispf the type which includes a partiy eo in our construction, when the air tube 8 terminates at the point where such any air pocket Vusually exists, the air is quickly and con- Y tinuously removed therefrom, promoting the action of the heating-medium in heating the foot-portion when the form is first put into use and then maintaining it at a relatively constant temperature. This is exceedingly important in a construction of this kind where it is necessary to transmit the heat from the foot-portion 3 to a toe-element, such as that marked 13, that is removable for Vinterchangeability.

u Preferably and as shown in this particular embodiment, the toe-portion 3 is offset to provide a relativelyiat element-engaging face 14 and a shoulder 15. The surface of the face 14 and, if need be, of the shoulder 15, is preferably machined so as to make it as smooth and true as possible. It is to be understood that, where we have herein used the expression machined as applied to these and other -surfaces of the structure, we mean thereby a surface that has been treated in a manner that will insure an intimacy of contact between it and anyy other mating surface, thus to promote heat transference between the surfaces, as hereinafter more fully explained. lAs shown in Figs. 3 and 4, for example, the face 14 is cut at an angle to a medial line extending from edge to edge of the structure. In other. words, this face is somewhat diagonal to such a line, and'y for a reason which will hereinafter be set forth.

The toe-element 13 is, infthis instance, solid and, thus, includes no internal chamber. It.r like the toe-portion, is provided with a relatively lat and machined toe-portion-engag- Ving face 16 which, the same as the face 14, is

out angular to Xa medial plane extending through the crease-producing edges of the portion. The faces 14 and 16 of the toe-portion and toe-element respectively are preferably relatively broad, flat, and smooth to provide, by their intimate juxtaposition, ciiicient heat transmission from the former to the latter. The intimate adjunctive contact thereby obtained mayI best be described as a mating interrelation, and the two faces so contacting as mating faces. rEhe Vtoe-element is also provided with a shoulder 17 with which the vedge 18 vof -theupper extremity of the foot-portion 3 contacts when the toe-element is mounted on the portion. Similarly, the extremity19 of the toe-element contacts with the shoulder 15 of the toe-portion.

By reason of the particular formation yof vthe contacting surfaces 14 and 16 of the These surfaces, when in Contact, will be angular to amedial plane containing the creaseproducing edges of the two components.

Means are provided for securing and maintaining these components in intimate contact with each other to promote heat transference from the one to the other and, in this instance, such means comprise an elongated T-slot 2O cut centrally of the toe-element, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 5, and adapted to receive a washer or disk 21 through which extends a screw or similarly headed instrumentality 22 adapted to be threaded into a hole 23 formed in the toe-portion and extending from the face 14 thereof. To permit turning of the screw 22, by means of a screw driver or similar tool, the toe-element is provided with a recess or aperture 24.

Preferably and as shown in this embodiment, the edges 25-25 of the toe-portion adjacent the extremity thereof, as well as the edges 26-26 of the toe-element, are of relatively diiferent widthwise dimensions so that the edges of these two components are, for a portion of their length, not coincident. The purpose of this construction is to break the joint between the respective extremities of these components and thereby insure that no projections or shoulders shall be presented which would catch the threads of the goods and either .damage such goods orv interfere with the proper boarding thereof on the form. It will be noted that the head of the screw 22 is of larger dimensions than the aperture 24, and this prevents the screw from being displaced through the aperture. I

The. operation of the structure so far described will be more or less evident: Assuming that a selected size of toe-elementas, for instance,.for the boarding of a size-9 stocking-is mounted on the form, and it be desired'to cha-nge the form so as to adapt it for boarding a different size stocking--a size- 10, for instancethe operator, with a screw driver or the like, gives the screw 22 a quarter of a turn, which releases the washer 21 from its binding engagement with the walls of the slot 20, whereupon the toe-element 13 may be moved in the direction indicated by the arrow A, Fig. 2, until the element is separated from the fastening. device, including the washer.

Then, to apply the size-10 toe-element, the

operator slides the toe-element in the opposite direction from that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, with the mating faces 14 and 16 in engagement, until the T-slot is in register with the washer and, then, slid-es the element farther with the washer in the slot until the mating faces of the shoulders 15 and 17 are in engagement with their respective associated extremities 19 and 18 and the hole 24 is in register with the head of the screw, whereupon the operator gives the screw a quarter of a turn in the opposite direction, this action effecting a binding` engagement of the washer with the walls of the T-slot, therebyfeifecting securementl of the toe-element to the form andat theV Sametime drawing the I niatingi faces in intimate "engagement, in

$5lthe'conduit 5". yBothof these conduits are,

'which relation they are then /maintained by the securingvdevice until it is desired to interchange that particular toeelenient1withlanother. v f

The character of the mating faces, ma-

Ychinedas they are, providesa. joint between Athese components to insure maximum-'heat transmission therebetween so that, as Athe toej portion becomes heated by the contained thermal influid, it quickly `and efficiently trans-v mits its heat to the mass of the metal'of the 'toe-element, whichthen remainsy heated during the operation of the form.

n The element-securing device, comprising vthe screw 22 coacting with the washer 2l and'effecting a bindinga'ction between ,it and the walls of lthey-slot 20,'provides an effective mechanical means to hold the two 'ccniponents yof the structure in intimate relation, which 4insures a high degree of transinis'sionof heat Aand effectuallyprevents the toe-element-from becoming locs'e on the form dur-ing theboard-v fing'operat'ion, such as frequently occurs in vpractice where friction is relied on to'hold a detachable toe-portion on a'hosiery form.

The vfact that the screw 22-of`tliis devic'egis V'well belowthe Aplane of the outer surface of the forml precludes its contactingy with'a'nd damaging the stocking while being placed lon or `stripped fromthe form.' .As already mentioned, the joint between the 'toe and foot i f members, by reasonof'their mating 'surfaces being diagonal'to the medial plane that contains the crease-producingedges of thefform,

prevents the4 pulling of 'threads i from' the.

stocking fduringthe boarding operation, The fact that the toe-'element is of solid material precludesV the vformation of any air space therein and insures that the element, deriv 'chamberand'forcesit'through the tube@` into the conduitVA 9. l

-During theoperationbf the form,`and as' the boarding progresses, the wet fabric of the stocking tends to develop condensate within the chamber 4 by'reason ofthe momentary cooling of the form, etc. VThis condensate is discharged from the'form through the pas sage 6 into the space 26betwe'en the external surface of the conduit9 and the inner .wall of preferablyiand as shown, in' communication witha water-leg 27;the conduit 5 discharging into the condensate-line or memberv 28 of the legand eventually into the trap 29 con-W nected therewith ;l while the conduit 9' d-isv-chargesinto the lair-line or meniber-SO-of the leg and then into 'the trap 29. Between thewater-leg 27 and the trap is avconnecting pipe 31.

Between the conduit 9'and the member 30 is manually operated air-relief-valve 38, by which air `in the conduit 9 may, whenever desired and particularly while the heating-` liuid isfirst being introduced into the chamber 4 of the respectiveforms, be released therefrom'more readily than might occur if carried through the tra-p 29` 5 In Fig. 6, we have disclosed a modied form of construction. This comprises a solid `toe-element 34, having a diagonal mating face adaptedl to be intimately related to a corresponding face 36`on the'foot-'pcrtion portionare of different width-wise diniensioiisgfthesel features being, inA this instance, the same as outlined-in connection with those in the preferred construction, already -dey scribed.

In this flinstance, the securing means comprises a screw lor other typev of headed member l40` projecting through a screw hole 41 in the toe-element ,'34 and 'n Y threaded into 'a hole 42 inthe toe-portion. 7

ioo

rlh'e screw is countersunky sof'that'the" outer face of its head occupiesvapos'ition,somewhat vbelow the planefV of "the "outer surface vof the toe-element. lnfsomeinstances, this sons Vwhich Vwe, havewalr'ead'y specified, it would not, inigeneral use, be asdesirable as the one firstdescribed'. i

' In Figs. 8, 9-and 10,we have shown still another modification which includes some of f the features described in connection with the first two embodiments; but in this instance, the element-securing means is different. In the first place, the extremity of the toe-element 43 carries astud 44 adapted to seat in a socket 45 provided in theshoulder :section 46 of the toe-portion'of the form.

Theshouldered section 47 of the toe-element carries a .headed stud 48 yprovided with an `annular groove 49 adapted to be engaged by a spring-element 50 mountedy betweenv and secured to spaced-apart screws 51-51 in the wall of the extremity of the ltoe-portion of the form. ln this instance, when the'toeelement. 43 is to be-placedon the toe-portion of the form, the operator positions the parts 'sothatthe stud 44 willenter the socket 45 while the headed'stud 48 enters a socket 52l formed in the shoulderedlsection'of the toeportion. The spring 50 will eventually seat in the groove 49 and hold the stud'and,there The trap may' be drained through the pipe 82 of air and condensatef" '87 of the form; likewise, the edges 38 andA i 3 9, respectively, of the toe-element andftoe- 90' Vtype of structure is desirable;l but, for rea@V iio by, the toe-element 43 in position. A pull on the toe-element will effect a release of engagement between the spring 50 and the stud 48 so that the toe-element may be removed.

From the foregoing, it will be perceived that we have devised an efficient hosiery dryingl structure, including a form adapted to have mounted upon it one or another of a plurality of different-sized toe-elements, easily vapplied thereto, and efiiciently heated thereby, this heating being promoted, as a-lready pointed out, by reasonof the intimate relation effected between engaging faces or walls of the toe-portion and toe-element and, also, by reason of the fact that the maximum Vtemperature of the heating-fluid, at a given pressure, will be maintained at all times in the foot-portion, the removal of air, by means of the tube 8, from the toe-portion being quickly and constantly effected, thereby precluding the formation of air-pockets at any point in the chamber 4, so that it will effect a heat transference to the toe-element, in consequence of which that element will be maintained at substantially the same drying temperature as the toe-portion itself.

`What we claim is:

l. A hosiery drying structure including, in co-operative association, a toe-portion and a removable toe-element having crease-producing edges and provides with mating faces intersecting and extending slightly angularvly to aplane passing through said edges.

2. A hosiery drying structure including,

\. in co-o erative association a toeortion and a. removable toe-element having crease-producing edges and provided with mating faces, the edges of which cross the crease-producing edges at a slight angle.

3. A hosiery drying structure including, in cooperative association, a toe-portion and a removable toe-element having crease-producing edges and provided with mating faces which cross at an angle of inclination a plane passing through said edges.

4. A hosiery drying structure including, in co-operative association, a toe-portion and a removable toe-element having crease-proy ducing edges and provided with mating faces,

the complementary ends of which meet inwardly of the crease-producing edges.

5. A hosiery-drying structure including, in cooperative combination, a form made hollow to provide a single chamber for housing a heating-medium provided with crease-producing edgesv and comprising a toe-portion closed at its upper end and provided with a relatively broad and substantially smooth face; meanswithin the form and communieating with its chamber for conducting air therefrom; a removable toe-element also having a relatively broad and `substantially smooth face mating with that on the toeportion; the matin@r faces on the toe-portion and toe-element being slightly angular to a plane passing through the crease-producing edges of the form; and coacting means on the foot-portion and toe-element for removably associating and maintaining them in intimate Contact with each other to promote heat transference from one to the other.

6. A hosiery-drying structure including, in cooperative combination, a hollow form to provide a single chamber for housing a heating-medium and comprising a leg-portion and a toe-portion, the latter being closed at its upper end; an air-conduit within the legportion and extending toward the closed end of the toe-portion; an interchangeable toeelement intermating with the toe-portion; the toe-portion and toe-element each having a relatively broad, substantially smooth intermating face, these faces of the portion and element being in heat-transferring engagement with each other and means associated with the toe-portion and toe-element for removably joining and maintaining them in intimate conta-ct with each other to promote heat transference from one to the other, comprising a slot in the toe-element and a screwand-washer device on the toe-portion and coacting with the slot. 7. A component for a hosiery-drying structure comprising a removable toe-element having a relatively broad, substantially smooth face provided with a T-slot, and a securing device interengaging with the slotted toeelement and comprising a disk-member and a threaded-member extending therethrough.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signa- 

